


A Chance Meeting

by TwoCatsTailoring



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, background monica/dave, monica meets gilgamesh, tempering grounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 14:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13412895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoCatsTailoring/pseuds/TwoCatsTailoring
Summary: Monica happens upon the Tempering Grounds. Nobody involved was expecting that.





	A Chance Meeting

Monica reflected on the meal that she’d just been treated to. Dave Auburnbrie, rising star of the Hunters in the region, had offered to buy her lunch and who was she to decline? He was really nice, had good taste in chili cheese fries, and she had to admit it - she really,  _ really  _ liked his tattoos. While they ate at the Crow’s Nest, at the well-stocked Cauthess Rest Stop, he had told her all about the area and she decided she would not turn down listening his steady drawl and deep, rumbling laugh again. 

 

Not that she didn't already know about all of the main points of interest in the region. Well, important to her objectives at least. But some of the lore, the rumors and myths surrounding the soaring rock arches of Schier Heights, the Disc, and even Taelpar Crag were interesting. And that’s what had her out now, in the early afternoon, whiling away the hours until she was supposed to meet her contact at the Taelpar motel with a short, easy hike down a path that Dave had said might lead to a nice view inside the rift.

 

It was a pity he hadn’t been able to come with her. But, it seemed that the Hunter’s work was never done, particularly when they lacked strong central leadership, causing communications to break down a lot. Something told her that Dave didn’t have much time for intimate lunches.

 

While she mused, she walked and while she walked, the sun was more and more hidden from view. She tugged her windbreaker from around her waist and slung it on properly. The path narrowed around her as the surrounding rock walls stretched up. There were also signs of animal life - specifically Coeurls - in the area. She’d have to be on her toes if she came across one of those.

 

Monica paused, seeing nothing ahead but what looked like a blank wall of stone. This couldn't be right, could it? Dave wouldn't have sent her this way for nothing? Unless… no. No she wasn’t willing to believe anything like that about Dave. He would not lay a trap for her here; there was no reason for him to. While she was important within the Crownsguard, there was absolutely no reason for the Hunters to want to cause a representative of the Crown any harm. They stood to lose too much.

 

Plus, that blush when she’d kissed his cheek had been genuine. Not that it meant much.

 

Monica moved forward again, for no clear reason other than to make sure there wasn’t some opening hiding in the shadows between the stones. As she approached the end of the path, she frowned, feeling like something was off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but the more she looked at the ground at her feet the more she felt that she was missing something. Was the rocky path turning to sand? Maybe if she just….

 

One second Monica had reached out a hand to brace herself against the rocks at the end of the path and the next, in a flash of realization and gravity, she knew what was wrong. The path didn’t end at the wall; the wall wasn’t a wall at all but an illusion and she was falling right through to where the path continued. Only slightly downhill. At least she didn’t roll far. Not that she could have anyway, with the giant person standing right there in her way.

 

A giant person in armor. That was at least several hundred years past use. With an arm missing. And no face to speak of except a couple of pale glowing spots where eyes should be in the ornate faceplate that was most definitely frowning down at her. If armor could frown.

 

Monica was back on her feet once she’d taken the half second to assess the person in front of her. Still, she refrained from drawing her weapon. Because armor, even ancient armor, wasn’t a weapon and he was bigger, appeared to be displeased, and was empty handed.

 

For now.

 

The short silence stretched into vague uncomfortableness until,finally, he spoke, his voice deeper than anything she’d ever heard and echoing in his helm. “ _ You _ do not belong here.” His head to one side, he seemed to peer down at Monica, his eye-lights narrowing.

 

Monica cocked her head to one side, eyes wide as she took stock of her surroundings as best she could while keeping her armored companion in view. One path winded deeper into the canyon below. She assumed that the rock wall behind her would either be there or not if she turned around but there was no way she’d survived this long by giving her back to an unknown opponent. She had no plans to die today, either.  

 

“I gathered as much.”

 

“Go forth from this place and do not return. This trial is not for one such as you.”

 

Trial? What the hell…? Oh. Oh, no. Nope, nope. Not today. Every part of Monica’s mind and body screamed at her in unison to get the hell out of there as the memories of lessons and gossip clicked into place in her mind. Taelpar, the Crag, the Tempering Grounds. The Blademaster. Gilgamesh. Oh  _ hell _ , no.  

 

Her teeth ground together as her jaw tightened, her whole body feeling light and floaty as she nodded once, “Right. Understood,” and bowed deeply to the Undying Shield, the only person to ever make Cor Fucking Leonis go glassy-eyed and pale just mentioning his name. 

 

Monica backed away, feeling a slight chill as the wall at her back melted away and her foot caught on a stone as it rematerialized in front of her, looking as solid as ever. It was a new sensation, she thought, as she sat, catching her breath in the Crow’s Nest. In her 24 years, she had never not felt an ounce of shame at having to run for her life.


End file.
